Omega Ruby

When it comes toPokemon Alpha Sapphire andPokemon Omega Ruby, the nostalgia runs both ways. On one end, players who grew up playing Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire will take a trip down memory lane as they’re transported to the Hoenn region once again. For producer Junichi Masuda, the game is a journey to his childhood in Kyushu, the Japanese island that serves as the inspiration for the locale.

“That was where my parents lived,” he said. “I’m originally from Tokyo. There’s not a lot of nature.” He said when he took trips to his grandparents’ house in Kyushu, he was exposed to more rural surroundings. “I had a lot of great memories. I wanted to pour these good memories I had and express them in the game. (Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire) was a memorable project with me.”

With the remake, players should expect the same adventure, but with a story that’s more fleshed out. The director Shigeru Ohmori said, “We didn’t want to remake the game with the new graphics. There’s a lot of new additions.“

I had a chance to play a bit of Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and talked with both Masuda and Ohmori recently. Here’s what I learned from my time with the game and the creative minds behind the upcoming title.Continue Reading →